Isaac Asimov

“The Ugly Little Boy” is a moving science fiction story by Isaac Asimov, first published in the magazine Galaxy Science Fiction in 1958 and later included in the collection Nine Tomorrows (1959). The story follows Edith Fellowes, a nurse hired to participate in the Stasis project, an experiment that aims to overcome the barriers of space-time. Miss Fellowes’ task is to look after Timmie, a Neanderthal child brought back from the past, who becomes the object of multiple scientific studies. As Edith develops a strong emotional bond with Timmie, she will do everything possible to improve his situation and protect him from the tragic fate that awaits him.

The last question was asked for the first time, half in jest, on May 21, 2061, at a time when humanity first stepped into the light. The question came about as a result of a five-dollar bet over highballs, and it happened this way: Alexander Adell and Bertram Lupov were two of the faithful attendants … Read more

Sally is a short story by Isaac Asimov, published in 1953 in Fantastic. The story is set in an indeterminate future, where autonomous cars with positronic brains have replaced manually driven vehicles. At the end of their useful life, these cars are taken to a farm looked after by Jake, a man who admires and values their unique abilities. His favorite is Sally, an elegant convertible with an almost human behavior. The tranquility of the place is interrupted when Raymond Gellhorn arrives with the plan to extract the positronic brains to sell them on the black market—a project he plans to carry out with or without Jake’s collaboration.

“The Russians,” said Dowling, in his precise voice, “used to send prisoners to Siberia in the days before space travel had become common. The French used Devil’s Island for the purpose. The British sailed them off to Australia.” He considered the chessboard carefully and his hand hesitated briefly over the bishop. Parkinson, at the other … Read more